“Why We Exist: Matter Wins Battle Over Antimatter,” the headline on Yahoo News proclaimed triumphantly (May 18, 2010). The story which followed related that recent scientific experiments between matter and antimatter particles suggest that the former seems to prevail in the end. Physicists have long wondered how life, the universe, or anything else can exist at all since matter and antimatter particles destroy each other on contact.
Unfortunately, despite the newest scientific discovery, the basic questions of life, and the existence of the universe, remain unanswered, apart from divine revelation. Scientist cannot explain why matter exists in the first place, or how it came into existence. Scientists have no clue as to the mechanism for matter arranging itself in an orderly manner, nor how life comes from non life. Despite these abiding mysteries, there remains a resistance in the hearts of many intelligentsia to the concept of divine revelation.
It has been noted, that if the first four words of the Bible can be embraced, then the rest makes sense: “In the beginning God.” The text of Genesis 1:1 continues. “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.” The Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, invites four observations to be made.
First, observe the effect produced by the creative power of God—the heaven and the earth, that is, the world, including all things therein, Acts 17:24. “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”
In the visible world it is easy to observe the greatness and goodness of God. There is great variety in creation. There are men and animals, plants and sea creatures. There are birds for the sky, and insects in the bowels of the earth. Each entity is vastly differing in their nature and constitution from each other. The heart looks on in astonishment, and exclaims, “Lord, how manifold are thy works, and all good!”
There is also great beauty in creation. The azure or blue color of the clear sky, and verdant, or green tint in the earth, are charming to the eye of the curious spectator. How transcendent then must the beauty of the Creator be!
There is great exactness and accuracy in creation. To those that, with the help of microscopes or telescopes, are able to look more precisely into the works of nature, they appear far more intricate in detail than any of the works of art. Creation displays great power. Life is not a lump of dead and inactive matter, but there is virtue, more or less, in every creature: the earth itself has a majestic power.
There is great order in creation. God has designed a mutual dependence of beings, an exact harmony of motions, and an admirable chain and connection of causes. And, there is great mystery. There are phenomena in nature which cannot be solved, secrets which cannot be fathomed nor accounted for. But from what we see of heaven and earth we may easily enough infer the eternal power and Godhead of the great Creator, and may furnish ourselves with abundant matter for his praises. And let our make and place, as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, which is always to keep heaven in our eye and the earth under our feet.
Second, observe the author and cause of this great work—GOD. The Hebrew word is Elohim, which speaks of the power of God the Creator. El signifies the strong God; and what less than almighty strength could bring all things out of nothing?
Third, observe the manner in which this work was effected: God created it, that is, made it out of nothing. There was not any pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced. The fish and fowl were indeed produced out of the waters, and the beasts and man out of the earth; but that earth and those waters were made out of nothing. By the ordinary power of nature, it is impossible that any thing should be made out of nothing; no artificer can work, unless he has something to work on. But by the almighty power of God it is not only possible that something should be made of nothing (the God of nature is not subject to the laws of nature), but in the creation it is impossible it should be otherwise, for nothing is more injurious to the honor of the Eternal Mind than the supposition of eternal matter. Thus, the excellencies of the power is of God, and all the glory is to him.
Fourth, observe when this work was produced: In the beginning, that is, in the beginning of time, when that clock was first set a going: time began with the production of those beings that are measured by time. Before the beginning of time there was none but that Infinite Being that inhabits eternity.
Let us learn from divine revelation that skeptics, and atheists, are the greatest fools in nature, for they see there is a world that could not make itself, and yet they will not acknowledge there is a God that made it. Doubtless, they are without excuse, but the god of this world has blinded their minds.
Let us acknowledge that God is sovereign Lord of all by an incontestable right. If He is the Creator, no doubt He is the owner and possessor of heaven and earth.
Let us concede that with God all things are possible, and therefore happy are the people that have him for their God, and whose help and hope stand in his name. Psalms 121:2, “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
Finally, let us confess that the God we serve is worthy of, and yet is exalted far above, all blessing and praise. Nehemiah 9:5–6, “… Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”
Since God made the world, He does not need our services, nor can He be benefited by them. Acts 17:24–25, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” And yet God justly requires them, and deserves our praise.
Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” If all is of Him, all must be to Him. Why do we exist? Perhaps the Westminster Confession of Faith stated it best when it answered, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
